At the Ellie Caulkins Opera House,
home to the Colorado Ballet and Opera
Colorado, there are two standout spaces for
group events.

The Chambers Grant Salon, accessed
via a glass and terrazzo staircase from the
main lobby, is “a preeminent location for
social events,” said Fochi, who added the
salon offers a full bar, kitchen and a stage
for presentations or small performances.

The opera house’s Studio Loft, a performance and event space with a cathedral
ceiling, exposed brick, a dance floor and
audiovisual system, accommodates a large
variety of events and has its own private
street entrance.

Denver’s Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, a spectacular venue for live music, is
also available for group events. Spaces here
include the Rock Room—built around one
of the famous red rocks—and the open-air
Upper Terrace, from which attendees can
enjoy views of rock formations and the
Denver skyline.

Elsewhere in the Den-ver Metro area, plannerswill find more arts at-tractions that double asoff-site event venues.Aurora is home tothe Vintage Theatre,a performance venuethat also hosts eventsranging from meetingsto general sessions, andthe Stanley Marketplace.The Stanley Market-place houses 50-plus independently ownedColorado businesses, including eateriesand shops, as well as the recently openedHangar at Stanley, which adds a certaincharacter to events with its steel beams,polished concrete floors, large woodenwire spools and 30-inch light fixtures.

Boulder

Downtown’s Boulder Theater, one of the
city’s largest venues that has been entertaining the community for over 80 years,
offers a calendar of events that includes
live music, movies and stand-up comedy.

“The Boulder Theater is a beautiful and
flexible Art Deco event space that’s a world
apart from hotel ballrooms,” said Cheryl
Liguori, CEO of Z2 Entertainment, which
operates the theater. “The colorful auditorium, lobby and mezzanine offer a different
experience.”

“It’s also home to some of Denver’s most
popular restaurants and a large concentration of
the craft breweries we’re famous for,” said Rachel
Benedick, vice president of sales and services for
Visit Denver.

Across the street from The Source is the
recently opened Great Divide Barrel Bar (http://
greatdivide.com) 1812 35th St., where
attendees can sample craft beers, and down
the street is Infinite Monkey Theorem (www.
theinfinitemonkeytheorem.com) 3200 Larimer
St., an urban winery that specializes in canned
sparkling wines.

Opened in RiNo in August 2016 is the city’s
third food hall, the Denver Central Market (www.
thedenvercentralmarket.com) 2669 Larimer
St., which showcases murals by local artists
outside. Attendees needing a morning or midday
pick-me-up will find a coffee shop, bakery and
chocolatier here.

If the group is still exploring RiNo after dark,
attendees can swing by Nocturne ( www.nocturne
jazz.com) 1330 27th St., a supper club/
live-music venue featuring jazz.

— Carolyn Blackburn

HIP HOODRiver North Art District (RiNO)Located just a mile north of downtown Denver is the River North ArtDistrict ( https://rinoartdistrict.org), which locals call RiNo for short.This increasingly popular neighborhood, known as the city’s creativehub, is home to many of Denver’s artistic residents.